PILOT TIME TRAVEL HERITAGE PROJECT- 8,9 AND12 OCTOBER 2009

1905 The harbour of South Shepstone, Natal ( today known as Port Shepstone, Kwa- Zulu Natal. -  A summary!

There are always people by the Umzimkulu river at the harbour mouth, Zulus, Indians, Coloureds and White Settlers.Today the people are waiting for the Umzimvubu steamer to arrive from Durban. Some need to buy groceries and flour. Others are called to work on the harbour wall. Today you can really feel the tension in the air. The colonial government has passed a law saying that each person has to pay a new tax on every head.

The reading of the proclamation of the text is interrupted by some people shouting:

"There is already too much of oppression. They took our land, they took our tradition and culture, now they take away our men and they want us to pay for it! It is enough"

There is a debate amongst the Indian indentured labourers and the Zulu labourers -- Is non violence is the right way to protest, follow Mahatma Gandhi's teaching  or should we take up arms.

Short Evaluation:

Our first Time Travel project was a resounding success. As a voluntary, non govt.  organisation,  finances, resources, costumes, transport, groceries were  challenges. Within 2 days, Ugu came to our aid as well as OSAK. We worked as a team, Ebbe and colleagues including our time travel sub committee members Every person  understood the relevancy of this project to our community, found the time to participate  and  responded positively. Full attendance  on a Sunday afternoon planning meeting is one example of the commitment by the 3 pilot schools: Marburg Secondary, Nobamba and Merlewood Secondary, including our local museum service and many other  community members.

3 months preceding the first time travel project, the team worked consistently on: oral history, research, site visits etc. Museum services from Pietermaritzburg was extensively involved in collating research material, including many other persons. that read , researched and made efforts to go the extra mile. We formed a study group and shared information on our local heritage sites. It is sad that so little is documented about the people of this region.

It was a project that far exceeded our expectation. The photographs speaks for themselves. Our idea of all 3 schools participating on the 3 days could not have been better planned. It brought about unity, understanding our background and history, skills and learning in different areas.  Above all an overwhelming YES for continuity.

 Minister of Arts and Culture, Ms Thusi is positive about this  educational method and acknowledged that museums should play a critical role in research, become community friendly and relevant. Meetings and presentation to the local Education Department on two days, once by Ebbe , followed by a presentation by the writer hereof was again welcomed by Mr. Sibiya and colleagues.

 A live panel discussion at SABC studios on Africa Views for an hour was documented.. This is just the beginning of the many future projects. We have now included Mlazi school to work with Marburg Primary school, extending the pilot project for 2010. Funding is a major hurdle but if we could have done it with limited finances once, nothing is impossible when we put our resources together. The evaluation by the learners, blogged below is self explanatory towards in-depth teaching in historic environments and Time Travel as an educational method in all learning areas. But this method goes beyond the learner and schools, for the first time there is a conscious effort in documenting our history from the bottom up perspective, in bringing about understanding, reconciliation, healing and sharing of resources.

In conclusion, Brian Dube from Ugu is thanked for all his efforts, including many educators, museum personnel and the wider community.

Howard Msomi's group was transported and accommodated in Johannesburg to attend and participate on Africa Views.  Financially supported by Ugu.

Thanking each and every person that made a contribution, not forgetting  our learners.

Gulshera Khan

Time Travel Co-ordinator